The ways in which users are able to create digital images through interaction with computing devices continues to expand. However, the techniques used to select and generate colors have not kept pace with this expansion. For example, conventional techniques are limited to selecting a particular hue for a color, which limits functionality that otherwise may be made available to users. Further, these conventional techniques typically rely on complex user interface interactions and thus require expertise that make these systems unapproachable by untrained and novice users.
Additionally, there is a common misperception that creation of digital images is dependent primarily on users' innate artistic ability and thus is limited to users that are “born with” this ability. This is typically the result of a perceived divide between functionality made available to the users to create digital images by conventional systems and the users' understanding as to how this functionality is to be used. Therefore, the lack of understanding of how to use this functionality may cause the users to perceive an inability to create digital images.
An example of this is complicated and complex techniques used by conventional systems to define and select colors for use in creating or modifying a digital image. In one conventional example, a color picker is used to select a fill or stroke color by choosing from a color field and spectrum, which defines the color numerically or by clicking a swatch. A swatch is a named color, tint, gradient, and pattern used to define the named color that are typically defined through a swatches panel and swatch library that are output in a user interface. The swatches panel includes options to select colors, gradients, and patterns for the named color. Therefore, selection of a color in this technique relies on a user's understanding in how to interact with the color field and spectrum numerically and/or through the swatches panel and swatch library, which may be intimidating and confusing to novice and casual users.
In another conventional example, a color panel is used to apply and edit an object's fill or stroke in a user interface. The color panel typically includes numerical options to select color values, a color spectrum bar, and a color slider. To select a color, a user first selects a color mode (e.g., RGB, CMYK) and then drags or clicks the slider to set numerical color values, enters the numerical values directly as text, or selects a point on a static color spectrum bar. Thus, the user is tasked with manually selecting color values and/or making a selection from the static color spectrum bar, which also requires specialized knowledge and thus may also be confusing to novice and casual users.
Therefore, in each of the conventional examples above, a user may take years of practice and training in order to consistently achieve a desired result, e.g., a desired color for use as part of a digital image. As a result, this functionality as implemented by conventional systems may cause users to confuse an initial lack of understanding in how to use this functionality with an inability to do so due to lack of an innate ability. Further, these conventional techniques are limited to selection of colors (i.e., hues) and do not address any other potential characteristics that may affect how color is viewed in a user interface. Therefore, conventional systems may be considered to be unapproachable by novice and casual users and further have not expanded beyond conventional use of color as part of the digital image.